The web application produces links to untrusted external sites outside of its sphere of control, but it does not properly prevent the external site from modifying security-critical properties of the window.opener object, such as the location property.

What CVEs are caused by CWE-1022?

13 recorded CVEs are attributed to CWE-1022, including CVE-2024-39727, CVE-2022-1583, CVE-2020-36624.

How do you prevent CWE-1022?

Specify in the design that any linked external document must not be granted access to the location object of the calling page.

How is CWE-1022 detected?

Automated Static Analysis: Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)

What are the consequences of CWE-1022?

Exploiting CWE-1022 can lead to: Alter Execution Logic.

Is CWE-1022 actively exploited?

13 recorded CVEs are caused by CWE-1022; none are currently in CISA's KEV catalog of actively exploited flaws.

CWE-1022: Use of Web Link to Untrusted Target with window.opener Access (tabnabbing)

RadicalNotion.AI

Code examples

Illustrative examples from MITRE showing how the weakness appears in code.

In this example, the application opens a link in a named window/tab without taking precautions to prevent the called page from tampering with the calling page's location in the browser.

Vulnerable example

xml

<a href="http://attacker-site.example.com/useful-page.html" target="_blank">

Attack input

javascript

window.opener.location = 'http://phishing.example.org/popular-bank-page';

Safe example

xml

<a href="http://attacker-site.example.com/useful-page.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">

Vulnerable example

javascript

var newWindow = window.open("http://attacker-site.example.com/useful-page.html", "_blank");

Safe example

javascript

var newWindow = window.open("http://attacker-site.example.com/useful-page.html", "_blank");

CWE-1022: Use of Web Link to Untrusted Target with window.opener Access

Overview

Real-world CVEs

Common consequences

How it happens

When it is introduced

Applies to

How to prevent it

How to detect it

Automated Static Analysis

Code examples

Illustrative examples

Terminology & mappings

Alternate terms

Frequently asked questions

References

Stay ahead of CWE-1022

Overview

Real-world CVEs

Common consequences

How it happens

When it is introduced

Applies to

How to prevent it

How to detect it

Automated Static Analysis

Code examples

Illustrative examples

Related weaknesses

Parent

Terminology & mappings

Alternate terms

Frequently asked questions

References

Stay ahead of CWE-1022